Adoption of GIS technology in land use planning for development authority
Transfer of Technology from corporate sector to development sectors.
The present concept of regenerating every information under a pseudo terminology called "Information Technology" might have to be redefined for making it acceptable to the common planner. The common planner is somehow not accepting "I.T". Every stage of the computer world is new to them and therefore a suitable methodology for such transfer of technology will be extremely helpful. The planning community realises that the days old information system needs a change, but somehow refuses to accept the name " Technology" as they are hesitant in handling the new system as a Technology. As the entire concept is totally in a corporate world to which the local planners and decision makers are absolutely unexposed, some change is required in the form of transfer of technology. The new generation of our planner in the development sector is still in the familiarisation for governance in the local level and therefore electronic governance or e-governance may be the right term for their acceptance. Local governance for local development by local planner should by far be the best approach to transfer the technology from the corporate sector to the development sector.
Land information system for Development
There demand for land for any development will always be the primary requirement and to establish an utility oriented information system about such land must be an important criteria in our policy. The general land use map may be available for planning but the concept of a carrying capacity base land use plan is still a dream for any planner. To obtain a sustainability for any development plan such carrying capacity plays a vital role. Starting from a new area development plan for housing or industrial complex to a flood control district level mitigation policy, the land information becomes a primary criteria. The information will vary from a legal status of a RS Plot number of a cadastrial map needed for acquisition of construction of a Highway or Industry Relocation Areas to Geohydrological or Geotechnical information for the construction a reservoir or locating a Hazard Waste Disposal ground. Some of the stipulated rule are so stringent at present that if we are not equipped with such information , we can not obtain any clearance from the authority. Any development project essentially requires clearance from various department which need to be based on information on a developing land. The rehabilitation strategy has almost become a regular part of any development project and therefore information of presently occupying and to be occupied land, both become essential criteria of the project. While implementing such an exercise in reality the absence of a current and accurate land information map comes as a major hindrance. The available cadestrial maps are old and mostly do not contain any physically existing permanent point of location. Neither these maps contains any administrative boundary which are physically locatable. To incorporate such important information in the land information system not much trial is being given. No such policy is also seems to define any future programme of doing such exrcise. If a programme of redefining the available cadestral is taken with the help of GPS and GIS it might take 10 years to complete the entire country ,but surely it will be an asset to the entire country's planning document. More over if the georefferencing could be made to the cadastal map an effort could be made to correlate with the high resolution satellite imagery which will give a new concept of value-added cadastrial land use map. If such effort is ever conceived, it will be further required to think to redefine the administrative boundaries between two countries, two states, two districts and two sub-divisions with latitude and longitude and not merely by physical features like rivers, hills roads which are often dynamic. We must try to establish that lands have their own identity and their location can only be established by latitude and longitudes.
People participation and local level planning: a few suggestion from experience.
A need for spatial planning with information integration was being felt in every level of planning. The requirement of a faster decision making was being realised. Technologies are available in comparatively easier terms and new generation of planner are also willing to make a new beginning. Initiative, Motivation ,Leadership and of course Finance are among the main constrains for making the beginning. Government of West Bengal through CMDA, the foremost Planning and Development Authority of the state decided to take the lead with external finance and local expertise. CMDA's had already developed expertise in GIS based planning in the field of land use planning specially in the sectors of legal information in land acquisition, new area development (High way, housing, relocation of polluting industry etc,) solid waste management information system, chemical quality information system of portable water etc. CMDA was confident of taking a leading role and identified as a nodal agency to propagate the necessity and utility of GIS based planning among the local Self Government within its jurisdiction. The need of a more or less accurate map with a definite scale where the infrastructures are shown with necessary accuracy, was transmitted to the local municipality. A repeated interaction with the local bodies , corporate houses and the nodal body (CMDA)made the objective quite clear. The non recurring part of the expenditure has been made by the nodal agency which include specific hard wares, compatible GIS package , providing initial expenses for expert hands etc. Simultaneously Local bodies are also given the responsibility of providing accurate maps( if require after carrying out a survey) identifying local nodal person for sharing the responsibility of execution, fixing proper site within their premises for carrying out the entire operation and also communicate to the people within its municipality about the new beginning they are doing asking their co operation in fulfilling the objective. Finally , the house to house information generation which include demography, education, health, socio-economic status, infrastructural facility , municipal liabilities etc lies with the local level experts . These details when analysed through GIS for obtaining different themes to the planners , the importance of the technology is totally understood and acceptable. A feelings of possession is reflected in their action and the sustainability of the entire procedure is assured. The soft ware corporate house also plays an important role in the entire process by providing number of free training to the user, mostly on line with one to one computer availability. These training or exposure to the GIS world takes place in the municipality in front of the entire comminuting with numerous questions and doubts generating every moment and which are instantaneously answered.
It is therefore believed that a transfer of technology is possible only when you start operating within the community and not from outside. As a success result we have about 60 Local Government under this project in West Bengal covering about 150 million of population. Not only they feel a part of the process of development but also able to project the advantage of adopting the new technology to the outer world.